Enforcing Real rules.

We stepped in to the factory.  A sign proclaimed “Safety Glasses Required.”  The guy conducting the tour said no, you don’t need glasses if you stay behind the yellow line.  That is a bogus rule.  A yellow line on the floor does not have magical powers to protect your eyes.  A bogus rule is a rule that is enforced only when certain conditions are met by certain people.  A bogus rule is one set to appear to meet the letter of the law – not to protect workers.

Our idea of a safety glasses rule is if you are inside the building you shall wear glasses.  The factory we were touring is a machine shop doing repairs on oil well drilling and casing pipe connectors – heavy pieces of steel. Yet I observed no hard hats nor safety shoes.  Very few of the workers wore gloves.

Which rules are set and how they are enforced can tell you a lot about the culture of a company.  If rules are set because it is the law, much effort will be made to break the rules or only enforce the rules under certain conditions.  If the rules are made to protect workers, the entire culture changes.

See our Web site: SafetyRich